Finger sucking preventive device



ug- 8, 1967 W. BARQN 3,334,62

FINGER SUCKING PHEVENTIVE DEVICE Filed July l2, 1955 ....mw am .......m

.5 INVENTOR Waiter Bamm H@ www ATTORNEY United States Patent O 3,334,625FINGER SUCKING PREVENTIVE DEVICE Walter Baron, 28 Bayville Park Blvd.,Bayville, N.Y. 11709 Filed July 12, 1965, Ser. No. 471,236 4 Claims.(Cl. 12S-133) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A finger sucking preventivedevice formed of two strips of adhesive material arranged in parallelismwhereby respective interior adhesive sides thereof are opposinglyarranged in spaced superposed relation, a plurality of slat elementsdisposed between said strips and arranged transversely with -respect tothe length thereof, said elements being in mutually spaced parallelismand adhering to the respective interior sides of said material, theexterior surface of one of said strips being substantially coated withadhesive.

This invent-ion relates to finger sucking deterrents for children andmore particularly to a new and useful device of such nature which may beconveniently applied peripherally of one or more fingers of la child andwhich will destroy any satisfaction otherwise experienced through fingersticking to the end of eliminating the practice thereof.

Whereas the objections to finger sucking, especially where perpetratedby infants, are numerous, the primary object of this invention is tocurtail this rather prevalent habit, and thus to preclude malformationof facial features by avoiding deformation yor irregularities of theteeth, to preserve the aesthetic value of normal tooth development andto eliminate the inferiority behavior pattern often associated withfinger sucking.

Accordingly, and consonant with the foregoing, the instant inventionh-as for an object the provision of a finger sucking preventive devicewhich is provided with sl-ats having air passages therebetween, -wherebyiany vacuum otherwise created during the practice of finger sucking willbe destroyed to the end of removing the pleasure normally derived bysuch practice.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a device of theforegoing character which will be capable of positive and secureapplication to any finger of an infant and which will not Iinterferewith the normal use of the fingers when applied.

A further object of the invention is to provide an antifinger-suckingdevice which is non-toxic and otherwise safe to use.

Another general object of the present invention resides in the provisionof a device of the described character which will be simple instructure, economical of manufacture, easily and quickly installed andhighly effective in use.

Other objects and advantages of the inst-ant finger sucking preventivedevice will be set forth in part hereinafter and in p-art will beobvious herefrom, or may be learned by practice of the invention, thesame being realized iand attained by means yof the structure defined andpointed out in the appended claims.

The accompanying drawings referred to herein and constituting a parthereof, illustrate one embodiment of the invention, and together withthe description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the finger sucking preventive deviceillustrated in the uli-applied elongate state;

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FIGURE 2 is an illustrative view of the device according to the presentinvention applied to two fingers of the hand;

FIGURE 3 is a side elevational View of the device illustrating thearrangement of adhesive strips and Slat elements;

FIGURE 4 is a plan elevational view of the device in partialcross-section, taken .along line 4-4 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of the device illustrating thecongul'ation thereof when in the applied operative position;

FIGURE 6 is an end View of the device in the form shown in FIGURE 5; and

'FIGURE 7 is a cross-sectional view taken :along line 7-7 of FIGURE 4.

Referring now in detail to the present preferred embodiment of theinvention illustrated in the accompanying drawings, the linger suckingpreventive device designated generally by numeral 1 will be seen tocomprise two strips of flexible adhesive material 2 and 4 arranged inparallelism whereby opposingly faced sides `6 and y8 are disposed inspaced superposed relation. A plurality of slat or spacer elements 10are disposed between said strips or lengths of exible material 2 and 4and are secured to said material by means of adhesive coatings 12 `and14 which are provided surfacedly of said strips 2 .and 4, respectively,as shown in detail in FIGURE 3 of the drawings. As shown in FIGURE 4,said slrat elements 10` are arranged transversely with respect to thelongitudinal dimension of said strips and 'are disposed in mutuallyspaced parallelism as shown.

It ywill be further observed that the exterior surface 16 of flexiblelength 4 is coated with adhesive material.

Accordingly, by dint of the arrangement of said slat elements asaforedescribed, `air passages or channels 18 are provided intermediatesaid flexible lengths of strip material and between said spacer slats.Therefore, it will be appreciated that upon applying said deviceperipherally of a finger las shown in FIGURE 2, the devel-opment ofsuction will be prevented where the child draws upon his nger which hasbeen inserted into his mouth. That is, said air passages 18 establishair vents between the finger and the mouth to thereby preclude theformation of any pleasurable sucking sensation otherwise experienced bythe child in the absence of `the present device about his finger. It hasbeen observed that where the sucking sens-ation is incapable ofeffectuation, the finger sucking practice will be discouraged andultimately the undesirable habit will be eliminated entirely` Theflexible strip material is preferably composed of convention-al adhesivetape material although other suitable flexible material capable yofreceiving an adhesive coating as described may be utilized. The spacerslat elements are preferably constructed of plastic which is non-toxicsuch as styrene and which `cannot splinter. Hard wood, however, andother suitable materials may also be used in forming the slats. v

As shown, strip 2 extends substantially beyond the end of strip 4, toprov-ide an overlap portion 20 having the adhesive coating 12 exposed onone side. Thus, when applied t-o a finger, portion 2f) ywill overlap end22 of the 3 stood that within the purview of this invention variouschanges may be made in the forms, details, proportion and arrangement ofparts, the combination thereof and mode of operation, which generallystated consists in a device capable of carrying out the objects setforth, as disclosed and defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A finger sucking preventive device comprising in combination, twostrips of adhesive material arranged in parallelism whereby respectiveyinterior adhesive sides thereof are opposingly arranged in spacedsuperposed relation, a plurality of slat elements disposed between saidstrips and arranged transversely with respect to the length thereof,said elements being in mutually spaced parallelism and adhering to saidrespective interior adhesive sides of said material, said device havingan adhesive coating on substantially the entire area of one of theexterior surfaces thereof.

2. A finger sucking preventive device adapted to be applied peripherallyof a finger, comprising in combination, a pair of flexible materiallengths arranged in spaced, parallel relation, a plurality ofindividual, separated spacer elements disposed between said lengths,said elements being mutually spaced and attached to said strips, andsecuring ,means adapted to retain said device in the form of a loop whensaid device is applied to the nger.

3. A nger sucking preventive device comprising in combination, twostrips of adhesive material arranged in parallelism, one strip beingslightly longer than the other to provide an overlap portion at one endthereof, one strip lhaving an adhesive coating on one surface thereof,the other strip having ran adhesive coating on both surfaces thereof, anadhesive coating of one strip being disposed in spaced superposedrelation with respect to an adhesive coating of the other strip, aplural-ity of slat elements disposed between said strips and arrangedtransversely with respect to the lengths thereof, said elements being inmutually spaced parallelism and adhering to ar1 adhesive coating of eachstrip, an inclined surface at each end of the device, said inclinedsurfaces being comple- ,mentary whereby when seated against each other,a smooth lapped joint is provided, and when so seated, said overlapportion extends therebeyond to reinforce the securement of the deviceabout the finger.

4. A finger sucking preventive device comprising in combination, twostrips of adhesive material arranged in parallelism, one strip beingslightly longer than the other to provide an overlap portion at one endthereof, one strip having an adhesive coating on one surface thereof,the other strip having an adhesive coating on both surfaces thereof, anadhesive coating of one strip being disposed in spaced superposedrel-ation with respect to an adhesive coating of the other strip, aplurality of slat elements disposed between said strips and arrangedtransversely with respect to the lengths thereof, said elements being inmutually spaced parallelism and adhering to an adhesive coating of eachstrip.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,633,126 3/'1953 Newmark 12B-1332,896,618 7/1959 Schaefer 12S-156 2,980,110 4/1961 Brumeld et al. 128-87FOREIGN PATENTS 265,598 5/1927 Great Britain.

ADELE M. EAGER, Primary Examiner.

3. A FINGER SUCKING PREVENTIVE DEVICE COMPRISING IN COMBINATION, TWOSTRIPS OF ADHESIVE MATERIAL ARRANGED IN PARALLELISM, ONE STRIP BEINGSLIGHTLY LONGER THAN THE OTHER TO PROVIDE AN OVERLAP PORTION AT ONE ENDTHEREOF, ONE STRIP HAVING AN ADHESIVE COATING ON ONE SURFACE THEREOF,THE OTHER STRIP HAVING AN ADHESIVE COATING ON BOTH SURFACES THEREOF, ANADHESIVE COATING OF ONE STRIP BEING DISPOSED IN SPACED SUPERPOSEDRELATION WITH RESPECT TO AN ADHESIVE COATING OF THE OTHER STRIP, APLURALITY OF SLAT ELEMENTS DISPOSED BETWEEN SAID STRIPS AND ARRANGEDTRANSVERSELY WITH RESPECT TO THE LENGTHS THEREOF, SAID ELEMENTS BEING INMUTUALLY SPACED PARALLELISM AND ADHERING TO AN ADHESIVE COATING OF EACHSTRIP, AN INCLINED SURFACE AT EACH END OF THE DEVICE, SAID INCLINEDSURFACES BEING COMPLEMENTARY WHEREBY WHEN SEATED AGAINST EACH OTHER, ASMOOTH LAPPED JOINT IS PROVIDED, AND WHEN SO SEATED, SAID OVERLAPPORTION EXTENDS THEREBEYOND TO REINFORCE THE SECUREMENT OF THE DEVICEABOUT THE FINGER.